1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for providing additives to shower water and more particularly to a fixture mounted on an inlet pipe to a shower head which diverts a portion of a shower stream and mixes the diverted stream with additives such as mineral salts and oils.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional showers generally include an inlet pipe whose end is connected by a threaded connection to a conventional shower head. A number of arrangements have been suggested for use with shower heads so as to provide a means for mixing various liquid or solid additives such as soap, shampoo and body oils with water for delivery to the body of a user. These known arrangements are mounted between the water inlet pipe and the shower head and allow the user to apply a variable amount of additive to the shower water.
Arrangements for providing shower additives are generally of two types. The first type dispenses liquid additives directly into the water stream by a controlled dispensing apparatus. Examples of such liquid dispensing arrangements are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,486,695 and 4,219,158 and are illustrations of the use of bulk quantities of additive materials. The second type of arrangement diverts a portion of a water stream or the entire water stream into a mixing chamber where the water dissolves and mixes with an additive provided in the mixing chamber. Examples of this type of arrangement are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,581,996 and 3,847,354.
The use of a mixture of aromatic botanical extracts with water for bathing is known as aromatherapy. The mixture of aromatic botanical extracts and mineral salts with a water stream would be a desirable combination for a bath or shower; however, if botanical extracts are exposed to mineral salts for a prolonged period of time, the mineral salts will cause oxidation of the extracts. This oxidation of the extracts greatly reduces the value and benefit of the aromatic character of the extracts. Therefore, in the known arrangements, it is difficult, if not impossible to combine the effects of botanical extracts and mineral salts in a stream of shower water.